


Consequences

by LigerCat



Series: Why is this a 'verse? [19]
Category: Phineas and Ferb
Genre: Alien Ferb, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Chubby Phineas, Codependency, Emotional Hurt, Guilt, Heart Attacks, Hospitals, Hurt No Comfort, Major Character Injury, Multi, Overweight, Polyamory, Regret, Temporary Character Death, Weight Gain, Weight Issues, binge eating, discussion of weight gain, discussion of weight loss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-05
Updated: 2019-09-05
Packaged: 2020-10-10 01:55:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20520050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LigerCat/pseuds/LigerCat
Summary: Everything has consequences. Sometimes, they take a while to catch up with you.





	Consequences

Ferb sat with his hands clasped between his knees. His phone vibrated in his pocket. Simeon, most likely. He knew he should answer the texts. Reassure his son. But he couldn't. He didn't have any reassurances to offer.

He should have pushed Phineas more. It didn't matter that he'd grown used to seeing those last extra pounds on him. That he had slowly began to find the chubby cheeks and plump belly somehow cute. It wasn't like Phineas had been obese, simply overweight. Ferb had rarely seen his brother out of breath, he hadn't show any signs of health problems from it, it didn't seem to matter.

It shouldn't have mattered.

Was there something he had missed? Overlooked? Ferb let out a shaky breath, raising his eyes to the clock on the wall. The second hand dragged on as it ticked, the sound itself drowned out the TV on the wall.

He considered bugging the staff again to try to get something from them. Something to let him know his brother would pull through. That his heart hadn't stopped again since they restarted it in the ambulance.

For them to tell him his brother wasn't dead.

But they would surely inform him if Phineas was, wouldn't they? Ferb twisted his head to stare at the door they'd taken him through.

The phone in his pocket buzzed again.

He didn't know how he was going to tell their parents about this. He'd promised to keep an eye on Phineas when they moved out, though he had a feeling Phineas had been asked to make the same promise about him.

They would have anyway, but having them promise it to Mum was the only was she'd let both of them move out of the Tri-State Area when Phineas hit eighteen.

They should have anyway. He'd trusted his brother's choices. His judgment. He had let Phineas live as he wished without butting in, even if it watching his brother overindulge. Even if it meant watching his brother pack on the weight as a teen only to lose most of it in his twenties and then creep back up a few sizes at thirty, Ferb had stopped himself from making more than passing comments about it.

He should have done something when they were teenagers. He should have found a way to put an end to it as soon he saw the beginning of a gut on him.

And, if not then, then when he'd realised Phineas had a noticeable double chin. He had no excuse for sitting back and doing nothing when his brother's weight had continued to increase.

He'd still sat back when he _knew_ something was wrong. That Phineas using the eating to cover something up. He should have pressed about the whys when he noticed Phineas struggling.

.

He clenched his fists, nails digging painfully into his skin. When it came down to it, he was crappy brother. He should have helped him. It didn't matter if Phineas didn't want the help.

"Ferb?"

His head jerked up.

Vanessa sat down in the chair next to his, twisted sideways to face him. "I came as soon as I could." She took his hand and squeezed.

It was the first time since they'd run into each other last year that Ferb didn't feel anything at her touch. It was just a touch.

"Did they tell you anything?"

He shook his head. He knew only what he saw on the way there and what he'd overheard them saying.

He didn't think he'd ever remove the yells of "I can't find a pulse" and quick talk between nurses and doctors of permanent damage, not only to Phineas' heart but to his brain due to how long it took them to revive him, from his mind.

Ferb swallowed, mouth dry. What if Phineas wasn't Phineas when he came out? He knew he'd still love his brother, nothing could break that, but he didn't know what he'd do if Phineas came out of this different than how he went in.

"Ferb?" An arm wrapped around his shoulders before Vanessa gently pulled him sidewards.

He let her, burying his face against her. Tears that had been threatening to fall since the ride to the hospital finally spilled over as she rubbed circles on his back.

This was all his fault, he didn't deserve her comfort. He didn't deserve any comfort, not when Phineas could be dying. But he couldn't bring himself to pull away.

Instead, he cried into his girlfriend's shoulder as he waited to hear just how badly he had screwed up the most important person in his world.


End file.
